During the 15-M occupation that took place from May 15 to June 12, 2011 in 58 Spanish cities, the camps had to deal with a variety of problems.
One problem was complaints from merchants, in the areas surrounding the streets and plazas where protesters had deployed their camps, who were outraged by the threat of suffering substantial losses.
The lack of hygiene in some camps was another problem, one that seemed to be a pretext for local government to proceed with evictions. To avoid this issue, a committee worked cooperatively with the movement to provide cleaning services for the community, with the final result being that the streets remained as clean and passable as possible.
For the first time, the 15-M movement officially enacted a policy of non-violence, which was erected as a requirement for the majority of their actions. The images of occupiers offering flowers to the police multiplied and there was dialogue between those present.
Then in Barcelona on May 28, the Catalan regional government decided to clear Plaça de Catalunya by force, despite the presence of more than 5,000 people. Occupiers were shocked by the actions of security forces, who injured more than 120 people as they attempted to clear the area.
And after camp, what now?
On June 15 in Barcelona, at the entrance of the deputies in the Congress, a small group of people attacked a budget debate for the autonomous community of Catalonia and assaulted some of the politicians.
The police intervened and the actions of a few tarnished the movement and projected a violent attitude otherwise non-violent, but outraged people.
The community media echoed the violent acts and the 15-M lost a large part of the social support they had previously enjoyed.
One of the challenges the movement faced, was that of convincing the public that in addition to raising public consciousness, the 15-M was also be capable of carrying out short and long-term projects.
An instance of this happened when Spanish citizen A.T.P, failed to pay his mortgage during a bad economic moment, and after having lived 12 years in his home, the bank notified him of his immediate foreclosure. After seeking help from the ‘indignados’ the group marched in mass and achieved the banks to postpone his eviction.
On June 12, 28 days after 15-M began, the camp officially disbanded. The “outraged” said that this did not mean the end of the movement, but a “transformation” into new initiatives and demands.
“We’re not leaving, we are expanding,” one of them emphasized.
From now on, the movement formed several committees to work on alternatives to change the system, ensuring that it becomes obsolete in many areas of society.
They created a newspaper, the News 15-M, and a radio station, Agora Sol Radio, as alternatives to traditional means of communication. They also introduced “BiblioSol,” a book exchange system that allows students access to textbooks for free.
Internationalization of the movement
Five months after the emergence of 15-M, and almost a month after the start of the occupation of Wall Street, people in 951 cities in 82 countries around the world went to the streets to protest, saying that they do not want to pay a debt that they did not create.
It was the first worldwide demonstration coordinated by Internet, and it brought around 800,000 people to the streets.
In San Francisco, around 6,000 people rallied in protest from the Financial District to City Hall, chanting “We are 99 percent.” and “We paid the debt of the banks, they sell us.”
The movement has nine committees including communication, direct action, legal and finance, in which every citizen can participate.
In Oakland, 75 people were arrested on Oct. 25, after early morning police evacuated the camp that had been established in the city. And the next day, the police scattered a demonstration with tear gas.
Conclusions
The phenomenon of 15-M may be a sign that something is changing in global society. The anger and helplessness of people who feel slave to the economic system have led thousands of citizens of the world to unite for change.
This new generation, disappointed by current societal structures, and connected through social networks, now feels it has nothing to lose.
The 15-M poses two things: The need for change, and that people are not going to stop until it does.